Apparatus for drying and cooling substances.



G. H. HESS. V APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND COOLING SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED .IAN- I5, I9I5..

I Patented Aug. 24, 1915 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. H. HESS.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND COOLING SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.I5.1915- Patented Aug. 24, 1915 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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APPARATUS FOR DRYING ANp COOLING SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 19%5.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915 4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

G. H. HESS.

.APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND COOLING SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15. 1915. I

Patented'Aug. 24, 1915.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

GEORGE E. HESS, or LA Gan-non rank, ILLINOI|S..

APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND COOLING SUBSTANCES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, .24, 1915,

Application filed Ja s 15, 1915. Serial No. 2,355.

to be dried, but more particularly to grain,-

seeds and'the like substances.

In the operating of cooling'and drying apparatus in general, it'is customary to introduce the substance to be driedi'nto the drying racks, and after subjecting it for the requisite length of time-to the drying currents of air, to discharge it into the cooling racks, and thereupon refill'the, drying racks with a new charge "to be dried]; 'Racks'of this character, as usually constructed, are q relatively large capacity and asthe quan ties Substances h rie was Oats occurs that the last charge introduced i;intp

the drying racks is 'insufficient to fillith same, with the-result of 'causing- .the' T'up'p'er' portions of the racks to present r'elativelyjj free passage for the drying air, whichp vents the proper subjectionfof" thesub stance in the bottom portions of the drying;

racks, to the air, with the manifest disad.

vantage's'. Furthermore, it is desirable, fin order that economy in the operation'oftheg. apparatus be effected and the length of time required for the drying operation be-r'e duced, that the apparatus be: of such construction that the material to be dried' naybe subjected to different degrees of heated. .air in stages, in the first stage of the -drying operation, to a relatively high temperature,;,' which the material, such as gra1n,.n1aybe subjected to in this stage of the-drying op'er} ation, without damaging the grain owing .to its relatively wet conditionfand atthe following stage to a less temperature.

. My primary objects" are toprovide .improvements in apparatus of the character referred to, whereby. the above-stated objections are avoided; to providefa construction ofv apparatus, whereby thefmaterial to be dried may, during the drying operation, be subjected to air of different degrees of temperature, successively; and generally to improve apparatus of the type above-referred to to the end that they shall operate the better to perform the work required.

Referring to the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a sectional view in side elevation of a drying and cooling apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention, one side of the housing being removed, the section being taken at the line 1 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 2- is a sectional .elevational view taken at the line 2 on Fig. 1 and viewed in they direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a section taken. at the line 3 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 aresections taken at the lines 4, 5 and 6, respectively, on Fig. 1 and viewed in the directions of the respective arrows. Fig. 7 'is an enlarged section taken at the line/7 on Fig. 5 and viewed in the directi tions takenj'at the lines ,8 and 9, respectively, on and 8 and viewed in the directionsof; the" respective arrows.

on of the. arrow; and Figs. 8 and 9, sec- InI-tlie particular construction illustrated,

theiracks -for the material to be dried and cooled are' vshown as housed in a building toi -and; are formed of series of upright .latesllgspaced apart with louvered angleshaped plates 12 connecting the plates 11 'ogether and inclining at their lower ends inwardly 1D. staggered relation, as represented particularly in Fig. 7 the plates 12,

.bylreason of their arrangement as illustrated serving to permit the passage of air through the racks from one side to the other, and consequently through the substances "located in the racks, as hereinafter described.

The racks thus provided are uprightly disposed and are spaced from each other horizontally, as represented in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, in the arrangement illustrated, wherein four racks are shown, five spaces being thus provided which are divided horizontally by partitions 13 and 14, the partitions 13 being about midwaybetween the bottoms and tops of the racks and the partitions 14 about midway between the partitions 13 and the tops of the racks, the partitions 13 and 14 dividing the spaces between the racks hereinbefore referred to, into chambers 15 to 29 inclusive. 7

. terial in the racks, valve mechanism for this purpose being located at a point immediately below the plane occupied by the partitions 13, and also at the bottom of the racks and intermediate these two positions, thus making three sets of valve mechanisms in the lower cooling portion of the apparatus.

These valve mechanisms may be of any suitable construction; those illustrated comprising inclined slide-valves 32 which are slidably confined at their ends on guides 32 on the plates 11 and are adaptedto be reciprocated into and out of position for closing the racks to the passage of the material therethrough. These slide-valves are actuated by shafts 33 having cranks 34 pivotall-y connected at 34* to links 35, the latter in turn being pivotally connected at 35 with the slide-valves 32, whereby, when the shafts 33 are rotated the slide-valves controlled thereby are moved into or out of position for ob-- structing the passage of the material through the racks, depending on the direction in which the shafts 33 are rotated, the

horizontal series of valves being spaced apart vertically the same distance, and a distance substantially equal to the height .of the chambers 25 to 29' inclusive, these three sets of valve mechanisms being independently operable thrcugh the medium of actuating means represented at 36 and serving, when projected across the racks, to ar rest the flow therethrough of the material above the valves. 4

The passages 15, 17 and 19- are closed at the left hand end of the apparatus and the passages 16 and 18 are closed at the right hand end thereof by plates represented at 37 and 38 respectively, the passages 16 and 18 opening into a chamber 39 formed in the housing 10 and open to the atmosphere through a window 40 in the housing, and to the space below the grating 39*; and the passages 15, 17 and 19, which form exhaust passages, opening at the other end of the'.

apparatus 1nto a chamber 41 in the housing. The chamber 41 contains a blower 42 of any suitable construction and operated in-anydesirable manner, the inlet to which, rep-' resented at 43, communicates with the interior of the chamber 41, whereby when the blower 42 is actuated, cool air is drawn through the window 40 or grating 39 into the chamber 39, thence into the passages 16 and 18 and through the material in the racks, which is thereby cooled, thence'into the passages 15, 17 and 19, and into the blower.

The outlet of the blower 42 communicates with a conduit 44 which opens into a heating chamber 45 divided horizontally into upper and lower sections, each containing a heating coil 46, by a partition 47 located in the same plane as the partitions 14, the partition 47, however, reaching short of the end wall of the chamber 45, as represented in Fig. l, to

the right hand end thereof by plates 52,

thus leaving the right hand end of the passages 20, 22 and 24 in open communication with the interior of the lower section of the heating chamber 45 and the ends'of the passages 21 and 23 at the left hand end of the apparatus open to a chamber 53 which may communicate, as shown, with the atmosphere exterior of the housing 10. The passages, 25, 27 and 29 are closed, at the right hand end of the apparatus, to the interior of the heating chamber 45, by means of plates 54; and the passages 26 and 28 are closed to the chamber 53 at the other end of the apparatus by plates 55, the passages 26 chamber 45 discharges into the passages 20,.

22 and 24, thence passes through the open sides of the racks and the substances therein,

and discharges into the passages 21 and 23, and thence into the exhaust chamber 53.

The air in the upper section of the chamber 45 discharges into the two passages 26 and 28, thence passes through the racks and the substances therein; and discharges into the passages 25, 27 and 29, from which it escapes into the exhaust chamber 53.

1t willibe noted that in accordance with the preferred arrangement illustrated, the drying air discharged into the racks from the lower section of the heating chamber passes in one direction through the racks, as

and 28 thus opening at'the right hand end of v indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5, and that the air discharged into the upper portions of the racks from the upper section of the heating chamber 45, passes through these racksin the contrary direction, as shown by the arrows in Fig. 4, and thus the substances being dried in the drying portions of the Y racks, namely, those portions which are lo would continue preferably for a length of time substantially equal to one-half of the length'of time the material is to be subjected in the drying operation, whereupon the damper 49 wouldtbe opened causing heated air to pass into both of the sections of the drying racks, this operation continuing until the material in the lower section of the drying rack has become sufiiciently dry, whereupon the upper set of valves 32 are opened permitting the material which was in the lower section of the drying rack to descend into the upper section of the .cooling rack wherein it is sustained by the middle set of valves 32. The material which was in the upper section of the drying racks and which, by the above described drying operation, has been subjected to the drying heat for about one-half the desired length of time, thus descends into the lower section of the drying rack and fresh material to be dried descends from the garner into the upper section of the drying racks. The damper 49 remaining .open, heated air continues to pass through both the upper and tower sec.-

' tions of the drying racks, and when the ma.-

' terial in the lower section of the drying rack has been subjected to heated air for a sufiicient length of time to dry the material, the operator clbses the. upper set of valves 32 and opens the intermediate set. of these valves, having first closed the lowermost set of valves 32. Thus, the material which was delivered intothe upper portion of the cooling rack and was cooled therein by currents of cold air drawn in from the window 40 by the fan 42 and passing through the racks, is caused to descend into the lower portion of the cooling racks to be subjected. to further cooling. The intermediate set of valves 32 are then closed and the uppiarmost set of valves 32 opened to permit the dried material in the lower section of the drying racks to descend into the upper portion of the cooling racks andbe replaced by the mate rial in the upper section of the drying racks, the'latter being, in turn, replaced by fresh material from the garners. It will thus be understood that the preferred operation of the apparatus is to cause a charge of material to be subjected to the drying and cooling operations in stages, the material being advanced intermittently through the apparatus, it being understood that the lowermost set of valves 32 control the discharge of the dried and cooled material'from the racks, the intermediate set of valves.32 being closed in this discharge operation.

There are certain advantages in performing the drying operation in separate stages, as hereinbefore explained, especially under certain conditions. Gertain of the'chief advantages are that it permits of the-subjection of the material, at different stages in the-drying operation, to different degrees'of heat 7 which may be accomplished by supplying greater heat to one or the other of the coils 46, which latter, in practice,would be connected up with a source of heat medium in such way,

as will be manifest, as to permit them to be independently heated and to different temperatures, 'if desired, this being desirable, more particularly for economical reasons, as the .material usually operated on in driers of this general type is of such characterthat v it may be subjected to relatively greater heat when in wet or damp condition than after it has become partly dried. Furthermore, this feature of the construction permits of the passage of the drying air through the racks in one direction in one section thereof in the opposite direction, and through the racks in the other section thereof, and produces "agitation of the material in itsmovement from one section of the drying rack to the other section, these conditions'being favorable to the efi'ective drying of the material i expeditiously.

Another'advantage arising from the fear the treatment of the material at the end of a run. Should the mass of material to be dried be ofsuch volume that the last charge introdced into the drying portions of the racks is suiiicient only to substantially halfv fill these portions of the racks, the operator will close the damper 49, thus causing all of ture of providing a drying sectionformedof upper and lower sections is presented inthe heated air to dischargeinto the lower section of the heating chamber 45, and thus all of the heated air will pass througuh the racks containing-the material to be dried, which eflectually dries the charge, even though it be of a volume less than that requisite to'completely fill the drying portions of the racks.

While" I have illustrated and described a particular construction of apparatus, I do through said conduits,

not wish to be understood as intending to for causing separate bodies .of heated air to pass into different .portions of said racks through opposite sides thereof, respectively. 3. In apparatus of the character set forth,

the combination of drying racks, conduits arranged to conduct heated air. through one portion of said racks in one direction and through another portion of said racks in the opposite direction, and means for supplying heated air to said conduits.

4. In apparatus of the character set forth,

the combination of drying racks, a chamber aving separate compartments for supplying heated air to thefdrying racks, means for causing the heated air to pass from one of said compartments through the lower portions of said racks in one direction, and means for causing the heated air to pass from the other of 'said; compartments through theupper port1ons of said racks in q the opposite direction.

In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of drying racks, conduits arranged to conduct heated air lower portions of said racks in one direction and through the upper portions of said racks in the opposite direction, and means controlling the supply of air to said conduits 1 constructed and arranged to cause air to a pass through both of said portions of said racks or through one portion only thereof.

6. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of drying racks, conduits arranged to conductheated air through the lower portions of'said racks in one direction and through the upper I portions of said racks in the opposite direction, and means for causing air of difierent temperatures to pass through said conduits, respectively.

In apparatus of thecharacter set forth,

the combination of drying racks, conduits" arranged to conduct heated air through the lower portions of said racks in one direction and through the upper portions of' said racks in the opposite. direction, means for causing air of different temperatures to pass respectively, 4 and means for controlling the passage of air through said conduits operative to permit altered without de- 7 I q I I arranged to cause heated air to pass through tion and whereby .theair in 'po in r c mechanisms in said cooling racks, the upperportion only ing racks .one temperature to one of said sections of .forth, the combination of cooling racks and through the pass through, one portion of the racks in one direction and through another closed at to passages, ply heated air to the'open ends of the racks 125 of the character set J air to pass through both of said conduits, or

one only thereof. v

8. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of drylng racks, conduits edirec- 7 0 through the upper portion of said racks in the opposite direction, means the lower portions of said racks in controlling the passage of air to'cause it to pass through both of said conduits or. one only ofsaidcondu'itsa v 9. In apparatus of the character setforth,

the combination of cooling racks and superupper and'lower valve valves controlling the outlet from-said dry ing-racks, the capacity of'the cooling racks betwee'nsaid sets of valves being equal to a of the capacity of the drying racks, meansdividing said drying racks into superposed sections each of a capacity sub- Y stantia-lly equal to the capacity of the coolbetween said sets .of. valves, and means for'supplying heated air to the sec tions of said drying .racks to pass there-- through, controllable for supplying air at the drying rack and air at a different temperlzrture to. the other section of said drying rac 10. In apparatus of the character set superposed drying racks, valve mechanisms in said cooling racks, the upper valves controlling the' outlet from said drying racks, the capacity of the cool-- upper and lower.

ing racks between said sets of valves being equal to a portion only of the capacity of the drying racks, means dividing said-drying' racks into superposed sections each of a capacity substantially equal to the capacity [of the cooling racks between said sets of valves, and means for causing heated air to portion thereof in the opposite direction. .11. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of drying racks with115 9 passages therebetween, partitions in said passages, certain of said passages being one end above said partitions and closed at their opposite end below said partitions, and the otherof 'sai-d passages being closed above and below said-partitions a jacent the open ends of saidfirst-referr and conduits arranged to supat one end of the apparatus.

- '12.' In apparatus forth,'-the combination of drying racks, sep- 'a partments in communication with- '1 i one of said conduits will I be caused to be at a higher temperature'than' 1 in the other of said conduits, and means for 75 v ing between said compartments.

13. In apparatus of the character set forth, the. combination of drying racks, separate compartments in communication With each other for supplying heated air to different portions of said racks, heating means 10 in said compartments, a conduit for supplying air to the lower one of said compartments, and a valve controlling the opening between said compartments.

GEORGE H. HESS. In the presence of ALICE MASLEY, FANNIE ROCHE. 

